Improvement in stem winding and setting watches



H. M. ROBOTTOM. Stem Winding and Setting Watches.

N0.196,252. Patented Oct. 16,1877.

Wwz@ r I %0de N-FETERS. PNDTO UTHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON. D C.

HENRY l\I. ROBOTTO M, OF LIVERPOOL, GREAT BRITAIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE THIRDHIS RIGHT TO WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEM WINDING AND SETTING WATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,252, dated October16, 1877;

application filed August 18, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY MATTHEW Ito BOTTOM, of Liverpool, in thecounty of Lancaster and Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Stein Winding and Setting TVatches, ofwhich the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a stem winding and setting mechanism of peculiarconstruction, which may also, if desired, be used in connection with theregulating devices; and 0011- sists in the special construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a face view of a watch, having the front plate exposed, andshowing the parts in position for winding; Fig. 2, view of the insideface of the front plate, showing the spring by which the winding-gear isheld out of contact with the center-pinion; Fi 3, a face view of thefront plate, with the winding and setting devices removed therefrom;Fig. 4, a transverse central section on line a; w of Fig.1, with theparts in the winding position; Fig. 5, a similar view, with the parts inthe position for setting hands; Fig. 6, views showin g p arts of thewinding and settingmechanism in detail; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, viewsillustrating the manner of connecting thewinding and setting mechanismwith the regulatoran arrangement which may be adopted, but which I donot seek to cover in the present patent.

A represents the front plate of the watch; 13, the winding arbor orpinion; O, the centerpinion, by which the hands of the watch arecontrolled.

D represents the stem of the watch, provided with the usual head orbutton on the outer end, and arranged so that it may receive a rotaryand also a limited longitudinal movement. At its inner end the stem isformed into or provided with a bevel-pinion, a, which gears constantlywith a large gear-wheel, E, so that whenever the stem is rotated ineither direction it causes a rotation of the wheel E.

The wheel E is provided on its upper side facepressed down upon thewheel E by a spun when the wheel E is turned forward by tl e stem ittransmits motion through the teeth 0 the disk F, which, in turn, rotatesthe pinit 1 B, and thereby winds upon the inainsprin g I the watch. henthe wheel E is turned bac ward the spring-arm permits the disk F 0 rise,and the ratchet teeth ride upon (M31 without turning the disk oratt'ectin g the win ing-pinion.

The above-described arrangement is all tlr t is necessaryto effect thewinding of the watcl but in order to secure the setting of H ehands,also, I so arrange the parts that tl e wheel E, while remaining ingear with tl e stem, may be moved edgewise into gear wi'h a wheel orpinion, II, on the center-pinion r handshaft C. This is accomplished byco necting the wheel with sliding supports, a1 l arranging the stem topush it inward, and a spring to push itoutward againwhen the ste n isreleased.

The wheel E is made, as shown in Fig. (3, an annular or ring form, andsurrounds or e 1- circles the winding-arbor, and is held down 11 placeby a circular central plate or washer, which latter is held in itsplace, as shown Figs. at and 5, by a fastening-screw, c, and aguide-pin, (I, both of which are mounted 11 slots in the body-plate A,as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, so that they permit the wheel and washerI to play edgewise. A spring, mounted on the inside of the plate A, bea'against the screw 0 of the washer I, and serv to push the latter and thewheel E outwa d away from the centenpinion O. The end f the stem D isprovided with a small neck spindle, e, passing into the edge of the plae A, and bearing against the screw 0, as show n in Figs. 4 and 5, sothat upon pressing tl e stem inward with sufficient force to overcon ethe spring K, the wheel E will be forced in 0 gear with the centerpinion,while at the san e time it remains in gear with the stem, whi 1latter, upon being now tin'ned forward or bac ward, will transmit motionthrough the who l E to the center-pinion and hands.

hen the setting operation takes placeft arm, G, as shown in Figs.l and5, so th t is, of course, necessary that the ratchet-tee FFIG,

of the wheel E and the winding-disk F shall be disengaged fiomeachother, and this is accomplished by providing said plate F with a centralhub, g, which has its end beveled or inclined, as shown in Fig. 6, andextended into an opening in the center of the sliding washer or plate I,as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the wheel E and the washer are pushedsidewise by the stem, as described, the washer rides under the inclinedend of the hub g, and, pushing the same upward, lifts and holds the diskF and its teeth clear of the wheel E, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, thedisk F rising and standing still on the winding-arbor as the wheel andwasher move sidewise imder it.

When the pressure is removed from the end of the stem after setting thewatch, the spring K pushes the wheel E back to its place under the diskF, and the latter drops back thereon, so that their teeth againinterlock to permit the winding of the watch.

It is obvious that, unless some provision were made against it, therewould be danger of the stem being pushed inward and the setting devicesbeing operated accidentally during the operation of winding. To preventthis trouble the disk F has its bevel-ended hub 9 made with acylindrical body of such length as to extend down into the opening inthe plate or washer I, and present a vertical side to hold said platefrom moving, as shown in Fig. 4,-until the disk F is first raisedsufficiently to withdraw the cylindrical portion of the hub and bringits beveled end opposite or on a level with the edge of the opening inthe washer, to be acted on thereby. This preliminary raising of thewasher is effected by first turning the stem D slightly backward, theeffect of which is to turn the wheel E back, and cause its ratchetteethto ride under those of the disk F, and thereby push the latter up. Inthis way all danger is avoided of affecting the hands accidentally whenwinding; but at the same time the instantaneous operation of the settingmechanism is permitted, after unlocking them, by the backward rotationof the stem.

Instead of beveling the end of the hub, it may be made square, and thesame action precisely secured by beveling or flaring the open-.

ing in the disk or washer.

It will be observed that the normal position of the parts is such thatthe rotation of the stem will cause the winding up of the mainspring,and that the mere inward pressure on the stem instantly disconnects thewinding devices, and brings those for setting the hands into action.

In case it should be desired to adjust the regulator of the watch bymeans of the stem,

the latter may have an enlarged inner end connected with a slidingplate, L, which serves to operate a lever, M, carrying an idle-pinion,N, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, so that upon drawing the stem outwardbeyond its position for winding, it will move the slide and lever, andcause the pinion N to connect the wheel E with gearing which actuatesthe regulator arm or lever, as in Fig. 9, the wheel E to move and remainin gear with the stem, as in winding.

It is manifest that in constructing the winding and setting mechanismthe precise arrangement of details shown need not be adhered to, theonly requisite being that the main parts should have the movements andactions described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- Y 1. Thecombination of the winding-arbor B, provided with the yieldin ratchetplate or disk F, the gear-wheel E, provided with the ratchetteeth on itsside face, and the pinion-stem D.

2. In combination with the winding-pinion B, the center-pinion orhand-shaft G, and stem D, having the rotary and longitudinal movements,the rotating and laterally-movin g wheel E, with ratchet-teeth on itsside face, and the yielding ratchet plate or disk F, mounted on thewinding-pinion.

3. In combination with the rotating and sliding winding andsctting wheelE, having ratchet-teeth 'on its side face, the yielding ratchetplate F,provided with the hub having the cylindrical body and beveled or conicalend, for the purpose described.

4. In combination with the rotating disk F and the rotating and slidingwheel E, having ratchet-teeth on their contiguous faces, a locking-hub,g, to prevent the wheel E from mov' ing laterally until it has firstturned backward, to cause the raising of the disk by the ratchet-teeth.

5: In a stem-winding mechanism for watches, the combination of a drivingand a driven wheel provided with circular rows of ratchetteeth on theircontiguous faces, and held together by a spring-pressure, substantiallyas shown.

6. The combination of the hand-controlling pinion G, the driving-wheelE, capable of a transverse sliding movement, a spring arran ged to urgethe wheel away from the pinion, and the stem D, serving both to rotatethe wheel and force it into gear with the pinion.

HENRY MATTHEW ROBOTTOM.

Witnesses EDWARD G. GoLToN, W. M. EDWARD.

